April 9, 1967 : New York
Satsvarupa: After three months in San Francisco, Prabhupada returned to New York City. We greeted him with an ecstatic turnout on April 9, defying the airport authorities by holding a big kirtana, with cymbals and mridangas. We were all eager for Prabhupada to catch sight of us, and somehow Prabhupada singled out each of us with his glance. He was pleased to see each and every one of us.
I drove to the temple with Prabhupada. When we arrived at 26 Second Avenue, no one else was there. The temple, however, was full of incense, which Gargamuni had set burning. The air was so smoky that you could hardly see into the room, but rather than finding it disturbing, Prabhupada said, "This is like India." He liked it. He also liked the improvements we had made in the tiny storefront temple.
When Prabhupada was away, we had recruited two devotees who were ready for initiation. We introduced them to Prabhupada. They both sat down, and Prabhupada asked them, "How do you like this Krishna conscious atmosphere?" They replied shyly that they liked it. When the devotees returned from the airport, Prabhupada lectured and praised the Krishna conscious process, noting that even in his absence the temple had improved, not deteriorated. He said this was a sign of Krishna consciousness.
I drove to the temple with Prabhupada. When we arrived at 26 Second Avenue, no one else was there. The temple, however, was full of incense, which Gargamuni had set burning. The air was so smoky that you could hardly see into the room, but rather than finding it disturbing, Prabhupada said, "This is like India." He liked it. He also liked the improvements we had made in the tiny storefront temple.
When Prabhupada was away, we had recruited two devotees who were ready for initiation. We introduced them to Prabhupada. They both sat down, and Prabhupada asked them, "How do you like this Krishna conscious atmosphere?" They replied shyly that they liked it. When the devotees returned from the airport, Prabhupada lectured and praised the Krishna conscious process, noting that even in his absence the temple had improved, not deteriorated. He said this was a sign of Krishna consciousness.
Reference: With Srila Prabhupada in the Early Days, 1966-1969: A Memoir - Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
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